Defect engineering plays a pivotal role in regulating
electronic
structure and facilitating charge transfer, yielding captivating effects
on third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties. In this work, we
utilized a mixed-linker strategy to intentionally disrupt the initial
periodic arrangement of UiO-66 and construct defects. Specifically,
we incorporated tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (TCPP) with an
exceptionally electron-rich delocalization system into the framework
of UiO-66 using a one-pot solvothermal method, ingeniously occupying
the partial distribution sites of the Zr6 clusters. Compared
to UiO-66, the NLO absorption and refraction performance of TCPP/UiO-66
were significantly improved. Additionally, due to the presence of
nitrogen-rich sites that can accommodate metal ions in the porphyrin
ring of TCPP, Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) are introduced into
TCPP/UiO-66, extending the d–π conjugation
effect to further regulate the defects. The NLO absorption behavior
transforms saturation absorption (SA) to reverse saturation absorption
(RSA), while the refraction behavior shifts from self-defocusing to
self-focusing. This work shows that defects can effectively regulate
the electronic structure, while TCPP plays a crucial role in significantly
enhancing electron delocalization.